23 Responses to Memories of Galt,Preston and Hespeler:Those were the days, my friend.

Steve Grenier January 14, 2011 at 5:44 pm

Bravo! Actually brought a tear to my eye!

Allan Dettweiler January 14, 2011 at 9:53 pm

Can’t recall ever being at the Royal – I was at all the others. Great job, great Scot.

Ruth McCauley January 15, 2011 at 4:28 am

Excellent Scott, had to watch it a few times and share. Great Job thanks for them memories…

Dolly January 16, 2011 at 11:27 am

Thanks Scott for posting that. Great pics selected.

Mary Conway January 16, 2011 at 11:37 am

This sure brought back many memories for me..especially the Sulphur Hotel..that is where I met my husband Pat..he was a bartender there..and my sister Ann roller skating..good job Scot..

scot January 19, 2011 at 3:06 pm

Thanks everyone. Maybe I’ll spend some time at The Archives and see what else I can find.

Deborah Goodall January 19, 2011 at 6:18 pm

So many bars missing now – I worked at the Sulpher Springs in 1978 and 1979 with Cookie, Fred and Mama-such great bands I saw there. Also miss the Nickolsons Tavern in Blair, the Challenger in Breslau (where I swallowed a goldfish for a free drink), the Leisure Lodge, the Matador, the Highlands, the Albion (learnt poker as a teenager next door at car club), the Royal, the Chateau Kress, and because I partied lots in Kitchener – I miss the best bar ever – the original Coronet.

dave January 19, 2011 at 6:50 pm

Bravo my life just passed before my eyes Well done

Harold Fontaine January 19, 2011 at 10:07 pm

I agree well done and looking forward to more.

Vic Loker-Simpson June 1, 2011 at 8:49 pm

ah, the Coronet… let’s not forget The Grand, The Lancaster either, damn I feel old now! LMAO

The Highlands/Tudor and Ballingers were all in the same building, but were completely different nightclubs. They covered different eras with different types of music and clientele. It would be like comparing the food at the Mirage to that of the Blackshop because they used the same buiding.

Lary Turner June 2, 2011 at 5:44 pm

I was 18 when I was offered a job waiting tables in the Men’s Room at the Royal Hotel; this in the day when 21 was the legal drinking age! I guess the owner figured that because I was in there so often, I might as well work there.

Nov. 23 , 2014. Regarding the Matador Galt . Hello from Harry Halliburton in Guelph. The Matador on Highway 24 Galt was built about 1968. The YMCA stands there now. It was then owned and operated by Jim Horvath. Originally it was cinder block like a gynnasium, with high ceilings, then turned into a dance hall by 1969. I was 19 years old studying music at WLU then and played the Hammond organ in an excellent band called the Gary Anderson Quintet . We played a dance there in 1969. Then Jim Horvath decided to make it a night club with a steakhouse on the upper floor facing the highway. We were the first band to play there for 6 nights, Mon. to Sat. in 1969. The Matador ‘s decor became that of a night club. The bar faced the dance floor. The stage was about 2 feet high facing the dance floor on the opposite side. The area could hold over 200 people. The parking lot was in front along the highway with a lit sign on a pole in the middle of the parking lot, Some Thurs. to Sat. evenings the place would be packed. Many months in late l969 and 1970 this band would play a week at The Matador for 6 nights then 5 nights at the Leisure Lodge Preston. Bars, lounges, dance halls were popular then. Jim Horvath was about 60 years old then. The Matador continued to have live entertainment for a number of years. Now the YMCA is on that spot. You would never know that the Matador was once there. Leisure Lodge Preston was then owned by a Mr. Brohman a third cousin to me. The Brohman brothers also owned the Breslau Hotel in Breslau. Leisure Lodge Preston was near the Speed River by the 401 near the present ball parks. You could see the neon sign from the 401. It was a popular place with an outdoor beer garden in the summers . One night in summer 1970 we played for a crowd of over 2000 in the beer garden. The booze was really flowing. Leisure lodge burned down years later and was never rebuilt. All that remains is part the flat terazzo dance floor, a plaque on a large stone, and some cement at the original entrance if you know where to look. The Breslau Hotel has been demolished. Anyway, I hope you read this. Harry.

Hoigh Boyd December 24, 2014 at 7:02 pm

that is a real great video…nice job. I used to work at the liesure lodge in 1979..in the foyer there was a huge tree that actually went through the roof.

Maddi December 12, 2015 at 11:21 pm

I’m trying to remember what year did the Matador close? Can someone answer that for me? Thank you

Deb Kingston August 3, 2016 at 12:26 pm

The Matador closed I want to say around 1985. It was Nickels Tavern for a short time after that, it survived for at least a couple of years, because my husband and I saw the Tragically Hip at Nickels, they were releasing their first album in 1987.